Thursday, September 23, 2010

Man oh MAN!.....i have been MEANING to get on here and update ya'll on how, what, where, when, why, how come, etc. all the happening's around here...and LIFE just keeps gettin' in the way!! KWIM!?!? Anyone else feel like they've been in a FAST FORWARD movement for about the last 6 months?!?!?!? I'm ready to SLOW down a tad bit!!!

I'm gonna just give ya'll a quick "overview" of the Ganza MADNESS that occurs!! THIS time, we had more "setbacks, bumps, and curve balls" before we even OPENED the crop room for croppers!! BUT...we pulled through!! Thank the LORD for answered prayers and special HELPERS sent just at the right time!! ; )

This is a final shot of the crop room (2am, to be exact!)....hubby finished up the cords and took the kiddos HOME to bed!! WHEW...it was a LONG night!

comparrrrrred to THIS (saturday night!)

Something that was VERY much a POSITIVE change....9:00am OPEN time!! Here's the crop room, not even 9:30am yet!! It was AWESOME!!

The hospitality room is STOCKED up and ready to go!! (we DID make note of MORE diet mt. dew, diet coke and diet dp...next ganza!)

The Centerpiece Contest was a HUGE success!! SERIOUSLY, we were BLOWN away with all the participants!! You guys NEVER CEASE to amaze me!! It makes it SO MUCH *MORE* FUN when everyone else "gets" it too!!! (these were just a few of the tables that kate got photographed from the weekend!)

The winner winner chicken dinner of the Centerpiece Contest (judged NOT by me!! hee hee!!)...."Beyonce's Group"!! They really get into the ganza themes each event, and come up with a lot of the ideas that we implement as well, so it was nice to see them WEINNNNNERS!!

Teri made us these fancy schmancy "singing angel" head bands!! And we wear them DAILY, Teri! ;) This was mom's "first" all weekend ganza event!! I think she did purdy darn good!!! Didn't complain TOOOO much! : ) She is usually holdin' down the store front all weekend and out to help out at ganza in the evening!! But with SARAH (my lil sister!)...unable to be my sidekick - mom stepped in!! And it worked out VERY WELL!! I was pleasantly surprised!!

I started to upload all the pics from the event, but noticed that DC and Lindsay had already posted videos, updates and pictures for you!! I'll put the pics that i took on our facebook fan page for you to see...they are pretty much along the same "lines" as hers!!

For those of you who attended Crop*A*Ganza this time, THANK YOU for an AWESOME weekend!! We really did have a great time!! Very little "hiccups" along the way!! We're getting better and better at this every time!! I have taken up the "issues" that we did have, with the hotel.....so we'll see what happens from that!!

Each Ganza, we always have a little "pow wow" afterwards, recapping the weekend, things NOT to do next time, things to DEFINITELY do next time, etc....something that was VERY well received this past event, were the group photo shots!!! If you've been attending ganza since the first event (and we know that there are quite a few of you that have been to EVERY SINGLE ONE!!), then you MIGHT remember the Group Photo NIGHTMARE that would happen!! Not everyone wanted to be a part of it....some would HIDE.....some would POUT.....and then there was KATE who would sing "the song that never ends"...ugh that was a NIGHTMARE in itself!!! : ) Welllllll, i-personally, am NOT a fan of group photos when i attend crops...i know, i know, it's just a picture...it's only 15 minutes out of my life...whats the big deal!??! Wellll, when i'm scrapbookin' - i don't wanna be interrupted!! THERE, i said it!!! As selfish as that sounds...i just don't!! So about 6 ganza's ago, we got "rid" of the group photo!! It was VERY WELL RECEIVED!! Of course there were still a few moans and groans, about not having a photo of the group to document each event......SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, this time....we had quite a few of these guitar sunglasses for "Decor"....i thought it would be a FANTASTIC idea to take them around to each table, and get group shots of the CROPPERS~as THEIR own group!!!!!!! I know, i know - GENIUS idea!!! SOOOOO, Kate and Dawn took the camera, glasses and their CHIPPER personalities and headed out to "work the room"!!! I edited each group shot (as best as i could with the lighting that we are blessed with at ganza!), and then sent them out to the "groups" in an email - thanking you for coming and hanging out with us!!! I hope everyone got theirs...if you didn't, just lmk!!

I know that there were quite a few groups that didn't get pictures taken.....i apologize if you weren't all together when the girls came around, and we missed you......we've made a note of that and will do that again in February - but LET YOU KNOW ahead of time a TIME frame that we'll be doing that - so you can plan for that as well!!!!! Here are just a few of the fun group shots that we took!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE how happy everyone is!!! You can tell they are really having a good time....and that's what it's allll about right?!?!

A few "extra" thank you'sSOOO much for all your help with the games and activities!! I know that Kate LOVED having you as her side kick, and i KNOW that the croppers LOVED having some fun new games to play as well!! Max!! It was AWESOME having a strong young man to help us "hoarders" of scrapbooking supplies, unload our cars!! ESPECIALLY with the heat, it made it SUPER nice to not have to make 25 trips to and from our cars with all of our supplies!! THANK YOU SO MUCH for assisting our croppers with unloading AND packing up on Sunday!! We hope you come back and join us in February!!! Sharon/Theresa/Shannon/Lindsay/Missy/Dawn - thank you thank you thank you thank you!! Words canNOT express how much we appreciatED your help with setting up and/or tearing down for the weekend event!! SINCERELY,,,,, we had quite a few set backs this time (before the event even BEGAN!), so the extra UNEXPECTED help was amazing!! Thank you SO much - THANK YOU!!!!!

Lastly - here's our FANTABULOUS *emcee* ... the amazing, insane, one and ONLY KrrrrrrAZIE KatIE the scrapbook LADY!! (of the night..!!) there really IS only one KATE!! We are SO blessed, and LUCKY to have you in our lives Kate!! REALLY!! you make things SO much easier during Ganza for us!! We can focus on what WE do best....and YOU can focus on what YOU do best!! THANK YOU!! Ganza would NOT be what it is without YOU!!!!

Things can get a little CrrAAzzzyyyyy on the LAST day of ganza!!!! *we love you momma*!!

AND NO GANZA weekend is complete without SOME form of physical activity..................we didn't have the "scrap Olympics" this year....but Chollet came through with cartwheels instead!!!

Charity/Raffle information!!! This year we raised $500.00!!!!

We're SO happy to be dividing that between "Victory in the Valley" and Yareli's Scholarship Fund (ResurrectionCatholicSchool)!!

That's allllll folks!!! Our Ganza Recap!!! Thanks for EVERYTHING you do to make ganza a memorable weekend, time after time after time!! We appreciate allll of you SO much!